Toni Kroos was one of a number of big-name players, including Bale, Karim Benzema and Keylor Navas, starting for Real Madrid

Gareth Bale’s stunning strike helped Real Madrid fight back to beat Juventus in a friendly which did not feature Cristiano Ronaldo against his old club.

Juve led when right-back Dani Carvajal slid into his own net before Bale equalised with a thumping half-volley.

Marco Asensio put Madrid ahead and then scored a third that Juve’s Wojciech Szczesny should have stopped.

Ronaldo, who joined Juve last month in a £99m deal, has been given an extended break after the World Cup.

Madrid allowed the 33-year-old to leave for the Italian champions after a nine-year spell which saw him score a club record 450 goals and win four Champions League titles.

The Portugal forward’s departure appears to have secured Bale’s future at the Bernabeu for the time being, with new coach Julen Lopetegui saying the Wales forward can “help fill the void” this season.

Lopetegui is also hoping a number of young players can also step up this season for the European champions and, on the evidence of this pre-season friendly in Maryland, USA, it looks like they can.

Several younger players impressed in the second half as Bale, Germany midfielder Toni Kroos and striker Karim Benzema came off.

Spain international Asensio, 22, took his chances in front of goal, while 18-year-old Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior – who joined this summer in a £38.7m deal – was a constant problem with his sharp and direct running.

The pair linked up for the European champions’s second goal, Vinicius skipping into space on the left before squaring for Asensio to roll in.

Juventus had little answer to the pace and energy of their opponents after that, although Federico Bernardeschi did see an injury-time free-kick pushed onto the bar.

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